Watch: A draft for a law against mob-lynching (India doesn’t have one) is presented

The National Campaign Against Mob Lynching (NCAML), which was founded a month ago by youth political leaders and activists Tehseen Poonawalla, Shehla Rashid, Kanhaiya Kumar and more, presented a draft law named MASUKA – an acronym for Manav Suraksha Kanoon – on Friday.

There is no law in India specifically against lynching, and the perpetrators tend to get away on bail. Though the “Not In My Name” protests urged humanitarians across the country to protest against the gross behaviour and even evoked a response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi against so-called gau-rakshaks, the attacks and lynchings have persisted.

The draft, the first of its kind in India, defines key terms like “mob” and “lynching”, declares lynching a non-bailable offence, and demands immediate suspension of the concerned Station House Officer of the area until judicial probe, life imprisonment for those convicted, and compensation and rehabilitation for the victims’ families.

Political satirist Akash Banerjee explains why the need for MASUKA in the video below.

Actress Swara Bhaskar also launched an online campaign, and a video (below), supporting the introduction of a law. “I am an actress in the Indian Film Industry. But as a conscientious citizen of India, cannot allow these lynchings to take place…I, along with thousands of young Indians, stood up against this public menace in protests that were recently held across 20 cities in the world.”

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Politicians, including Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and activist Preeti Menon are some of the multiple people to support this movement and show their solidarity with the videos, below: